What is the average psat score for national merit

But this is just the beginning: qualifying students have a long path to get to the coveted National Merit Scholarship Finalist round. Check out the National Merit site for full details on what to expect. Every year we get inundated with calls asking for help prepping for the PSAT. Our first response is always the same: why are you taking the PSAT? At best the PSAT will give you a ballpark estimate of your score, and at worst it will give you a false sense of security or dread.

We posit that the only students who should be focusing on, or even taking, the PSAT are those who are strong candidates for National Merit. For all others, this test is a distraction and an unnecessary stressor in an already busy time. In fact, we feel so strongly about this that we discontinued our broad PSAT prep offering in We now only prep students for the PSAT in very special circumstances, for example, if a student is prepping for a fall SAT and is showing very strong scores, we will encourage them to sit for the PSAT and dedicate a few sessions to that end, if it does not detract from the more important SAT goal.

Instead, focus on SAT prep—your time will be much better spent. As mentioned above, the state cutoffs vary slightly from year to year depending on how students do on the PSAT.

If you're really serious about getting named National Merit Semifinalist, then you should aim to score a little higher than the most recent year's cutoff. By setting a goal for each section and devoting some time each week to prepping for the PSAT , you can achieve your goals and put yourself in the best position to earn a National Merit distinction.

Are you taking the PSAT this year or next year? Learn all about the structure of the test. Hoping to become a National Merit Scholar? Get expert tips on how to become a Semifinalist and how to win the scholarship. Are you interested in applying to other college scholarships? Read about how to get merit scholarships at state schools , how to win a Walmart Scholarship , and how to win these unusual scholarships. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score.

Download it for free now:. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process.

Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers , the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. The three steps below lay the groundwork needed to qualify for National Merit. It's important to find your state's cutoff, figure out what scores you need, and aim even higher in case the qualifying score increases remember, there is slight variation year to year.

Before you even begin studying for the PSAT, look at the chart above to find your state's cutoff score. For example, let's say you're taking the test in Georgia.

Since the cutoff score could rise slightly, adjust your goal score to be a little higher as well—let's say instead of Tack this sheet up on your wall and look at it as you study to help you stay motivated.

Once you've figured out your goal score, spend some time learning about the test by reading our various PSAT study guides. Our articles offer expert help with designing your study schedule and making the most of your prep. One of our most helpful guides talks about getting a perfect PSAT score and goes into detail about how you can analyze and drill your mistakes to make big score improvements.

Finally, you'll want to take official practice tests to help you prepare for test day. In addition, you can use old PSAT practice tests , as long as you focus on relevant question types and ignore the ones no longer on the test, such as sentence completions. A lot of the fundamental skills and knowledge on the PSAT didn't change much during the revision , so you can still use older practice tests and materials to practice effectively if you familiarize yourself with the changes and adapt your approach accordingly.

National Merit might be hard to get but the distinction is well worth it and could lead you to some handy scholarship money. Plus, it communicates a lot about your academic commitment on your college applications!

If you are named a National Merit Semifinalist—congratulations! Only a small percentage of semifinalists move onto finalist standing and receive the award, so this scholarship application is a crucial part of the process. They calculate selection index scores to evaluate PSAT scores each year. Note that these selection index scores vary by state, so find yours to see how competitive the National Merit Scholarship Competition will be in your area:.

As you can see, the average cutoff score is , but if you live in Wyoming or Iowa, you might qualify with a lower score, whereas if you live in Massachusetts, New Jersey, or DC, you will likely need a higher score. In general, your chances of becoming a Semifinalist are greatly improved by scoring points above the average cutoff score for your state. And while Commended Students are not eligible to compete for the official National Merit Scholarship, as semifinalists are, by being recognized in this way they often do become candidates for special merit scholarship awards offered by statewide agencies and corporate sponsors.

Each year the NMSC awards semifinalist status to around 16, high school students. At the same time, of course, semifinalists are eligible to submit a scholarship application to become National Merit Finalists. This application is actually quite similar to the college application process. Semifinalists must submit to the NMSC:.